what do you think about genetic enginearing to get rid of DS

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get rid of downs syndrome with genetic enginering
yes 65%  65%  [ 11 ]
neutral 35%  35%  [ 6 ]
Total votes : 17

Kris94
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10 Feb 2008, 6:17 am

what do you think?
I have a friend who has it, and Its really bad. people who have it usually have severe learning difficulties, can't talk properly and die young...
i think genetic enginering could get rid of it, and I think it would work


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10 Feb 2008, 7:14 am

How do you propose Genetic Engineering could work?

Are you going to do repair work on sperm and eggs?

Rebuild all the DNA in a living person?

Have all future people formed from government approved lines?

Extirminate everyone who is not perfect?



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10 Feb 2008, 9:30 am

The correction (not extermination) would probably have to be pre-birth. Down Syndrome is caused by three instead of two chromosomes in the 21st pair, not a genetic anomaly per se.

I think it would be great if people could correct these things before it's too late without having to resort to an abortion.


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10 Feb 2008, 10:01 am

I'm against the idea of messing with anyone's genes. There are worse things to be, than Mentally ret*d.


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10 Feb 2008, 10:33 am

Kris94 wrote:
what do you think?
I have a friend who has it, and Its really bad. people who have it usually have severe learning difficulties, can't talk properly and die young...
i think genetic enginering could get rid of it, and I think it would work

am disagree.
Am have known many downs people and would say they are not always as disabled/stereotypical as they are made out to be,especially not as a majority anyway.
All apart from one of the adults am have known/know had a job,and none of them had the often associated heart problems.
There's only one DS person am know who has any health problems and that is one of the guys am live with who has diabetes,insulin dependant kind,but that can affect anyone.

Am disagree with genetic engineering to get rid of ds,as it is messing with nature,am think everything should be given the chance to live.


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10 Feb 2008, 10:45 am

How old is your friend with DS?

Today, there is a lot that can be done to help babies born with Down Syndrome live productive lives. I know a young woman with DS who volunteers at the library where I work and she is very high functioning. DS has a wide spectrum of abilities, just as autism and AS do.

Trisomy 21 is the most common form of DS. Other forms include mosaicism and balanced translocations (usually the 14th and 21st chromosomes.)



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10 Feb 2008, 10:46 am

No.. i do not support genetic engineering for DS.


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10 Feb 2008, 10:54 am

Nowadays, many people with Down's lead productive lives.

So... no. I don't support it.


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10 Feb 2008, 12:59 pm

I even refused the TEST for down syndrome when I was pregnant with my children, so as I'm sure you can guess I am against genetically engineering our children. I find the very thought of it disturbing. I suppose some people would terminate such pregnancies, because it might interfere with the perfect little life they imagined for themselves, much like some people would terminate a pregnancy if they found out their child would have autism. When we open the door to things like this, the potential for great harm - in my opinion - far outweighs any possible "good" that could come of it. As a mother of two autistic children who has AS and is married to a man on the spectrum, the thought of our entire family being wiped out makes me think of the Halocaust. Different is not bad, it's just different! My cousin has Down Syndrome, and she is one of the sweetest, happiest, most lovely people you'd ever meet.


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Phagocyte
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10 Feb 2008, 1:43 pm

SilverProteus wrote:
The correction (not extermination) would probably have to be pre-birth. Down Syndrome is caused by three instead of two chromosomes in the 21st pair, not a genetic anomaly per se.

I think it would be great if people could correct these things before it's too late without having to resort to an abortion.


This is correct. It's called Trisomy 21, a very easy thing to detect (and hopefully correct). I studied it last semester in college.

I hope Downs syndrome can be eliminated with genetic technology, it seems like a very interesting research prospect.


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10 Feb 2008, 2:04 pm

You didn't put a poll option for opposing it.

I do oppose it.

So do lots of people with Down's syndrome. (link)


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10 Feb 2008, 6:33 pm

I knew someone with DS and he was pretty normal other than the fact he looked and acted younger than his age. I think genetic engineering for DS is a bad idea.



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10 Feb 2008, 6:51 pm

Maybe I have not been keeping up, I think Genitic Engineering is Science Fiction.

By what means can you rebuild one strand of DNA?

How could you do this to every cell?

I do not see a means, technology, and see the likelyhood of causing much worse problems.



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10 Feb 2008, 7:09 pm

I disagree with any and all measures to prevent the existence of conditions, such as Downs Syndrome, that do not necessarily cause the affected individual to suffer any more than a so-called healthy person (is anybody truly healthy, for the entire duration of their life?). If measures such as genetic engineering and selective abortion are to be used, they should be reserved for conditions that are incontrovertibly extremely painful to the affected individual and have no potential advantages. Evidently, Downs Syndrome does not cause universal suffering. Therefore it should be allowed to exist. Individuals with DS should be respected and appreciated just like everyone else.



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10 Feb 2008, 10:08 pm

My aunt had Down Syndrome. Unfortunately, I never knew her, but I definitely oppose genetic engineering to eliminate DS. Already, fetuses with DS are often terminated. By modifying someone's genetic structure, you're obliterating the person they would have become. I would want the testing for DS if I were pregnant, but only so I could know in advance and start looking into what treatments are most effective for children with DS. For example, kids with DS often have craniofacial abnormalities which can interfere with speech, so often sign language or AAC can be helpful until they are able to develop speech. I'd want to find out who the specialists in my area are, because communication intervention is best begun by about 6 months of age.



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10 Feb 2008, 10:48 pm

DS? No, I don't think there's anything genetic engineering can do to cure the Nintendo DS - it's too fundamentally flawed...

Oh, Down's Syndrome! Nope, can't say I favor mucking about with the human genome like that.


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